After breakfast, Tsunade and the others continued toward the Land of Water.
Barring any surprises, they would rendezvous with Terumi Mei and the others from Kirigakure by noon.
Natsuki did not travel with Tsunade's group.
He returned to Konoha.
When Natsuki entered the Hokage Office, he saw Tagorihime.
Many factors determined the outcome of a war, and intelligence was undoubtedly one of the most important.
After war broke out with Kumogakure, Natsuki recalled the Three Snake Princesses to Konoha.
Leaving them in the Water Country Metropolis was too much of a waste.
"Master."
Tagorihime took out a scroll and said, "This is the latest intelligence on Kumogakure."
Natsuki nodded, took the scroll, and began reading.
The intelligence provided by Konoha's Anbu stated that A had become the Fourth Raikage and declared war on Konoha. Tagorihime's report went a step further, identifying the specific Kumogakure ninja taking part in the war.
Natsuki immediately spotted Blue B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki.
With Fourth Raikage A, Dodai, Killer B, and the others added to the roster, Kumogakure was clearly going all out in this war.
But that was only natural.
Konoha's overall strength was roughly equal to Kumogakure's.
To gain an advantage, they would have to rely on their strongest fighters.
After Natsuki killed the Third Raikage, Kumogakure had already come to regard him as its greatest enemy.
Following internal discussions, Kumogakure concluded that defeating him would require Blue B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and Fourth Raikage A.
Those two were currently Kumogakure's strongest fighters.
If even their combined strength could not defeat Natsuki, only one option remained: bury him under sheer numbers of lives.
"The three of you will temporarily join the Anbu as deputy captain-commanders."
After finishing the report, Natsuki instructed, "You'll stay in Konoha. Ichikishimahime and